I Would Have Been Safe
by NewtandZaneFanGirl
Summary: Legolas and Gimli took a trip to a forest, coming to meet Aragorn when something goes awry. The elf is injured captured by an Uruk Hai and held in hopes of a ransom, yet when his captor fails to report to his leader, both elf and creature face dire consequences of torture and possible execution. Will his friends save him in time? Rated T for violence and other reasons inside.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**Missed by a Few**

**A/N: Hello! This precautionary for some blood, gore, and character death (NOT LEGOLAS, BECAUSE HE'S TOO HOT!). More Lord of the Rings characters will be added soon in upcoming chapters, so in the meantime…enjoy! :D**

"Legolas?" Gimli calls his friend with an edgy voice for the fifth time. "Where could that stubborn elf be?" Legolas had told him he would be gone for to pick up something he had hidden in the forest to show him, but after three more had slipped by the dwarf began to feel uneasy.

"Perhaps he was merely caught up in the foul weather," Gimli muses, glancing at the clouds with an ash-like hue above right outside the cave's mouth, where the rain is coming down in torrents. The dwarf shields his eyes, scanning the forest around him for any signs of his friend. "Bother with meeting him in the cave!" Gimli huffs, picking up his ax, "Legolas, if you make me search for you one more time…"

* * *

><p>A shudder runs through the huddled figure on the ground. It's been long enough of lying in the rain, waiting for someone to find him here, alone, unable to move due to the wretched net in which his body is entangled. The rocks are boring into his entire right side and one beneath his head is a bit crimson from his recent fall. A brown steed lies next to him, breathing shallowly. Its right foreleg is pierced by a piece of sharpened wood protruding from the ground where many others are covered. Neither moves. Both merely wait, hoping no dreadful creatures come by and see them as an easy meal.<p>

Rustling in the bushes causes the figure to lift his head warily. His deep, blue eyes scan the area as his golden hair falls down from being bunched up, landing gracefully on his shoulders and a little beyond. Nothing. His throbbing head gives him enough trouble so that he lies down again, still waiting. He rubs two sweaty palms together, occasionally getting pieces of rope along with it.

"I think we caught something," a female voice speaks from somewhere to the left of the figure's head.

"It better not be another warg or else I'll make a whole new army of traps, unlike this useless one," a snarling, softer voice responds, though certainly not a woman or elf-maiden's. More rustling and the figure is now instantly struggling to get on his knees, but finds his body quite bound by the coils that he so carelessly fell on.

"My, oh my!" the woman exclaims. "We caught something far better than a warg, Fangadon!"

"What is it?" Fangadon inquires, ambling over and stooping over the figure. He gasps in surprise, delight, and disgust at the same moment. "Oh, by Sauron, my master! An elf!"

"Well, we certainly have a stroke of luck now!" the woman, Elaine sneers.

Fangadon draws a black knife, like all the other orcs have, from his belt while approaching the motionless elf that currently has both eyes shut. He pulls a rope out as well and ever so slightly lifts the net. There's still no movement. He throws the entire thing off the elf and uncoils the rope while saying to Elaine, "Here, hold this." He hands her the knife.

She takes it. "Be careful," she warns, "Elves possess a sort of magic-"

"I know!" the orc hisses, grabbing the elf's elegant hands and beginning to wrap the rope around them. Elaine mutters something about how he didn't know and crosses her arms, avoiding the blade.

The elf's eyes shoot open and he grasps the wrist of the foul being, and snatches the rope too quickly to notice. Before the orc knows what is going on the, what was his captor has the rope wrapped around his throat, squeezing tightly. Fangadon snarls and flips the elf forward, but the graceful being lands on both feet, now with his back to the creature.

The figure whirls around, grabbing two white knives that he had dropped during the fall, and swings both at his assailant simultaneously. The orc dodges both with ease. The elf then redirects both weapons downward as the former knocks him off his feet. Both land on the ground, bereft of any weapons save a quiver with two arrows on the elf's back.

Elaine cannot determine what to do. Oughtn't she stab the being her companion is struggling with or… "Belshazzar!" she yelps as the elf draws out an arrow and drives it into the orc's ghastly throat, squirting black blood on both of them.

The figure pushes his limp body off and gets up, grabbing his knives. "Who are you?" he demands.

Elaine drops the knife with trembling hands, smoothing out her black, calf-length dress nervously, in hopes of convincing him of being innocent. "Sir, I was taken captive by the orcs. He made help! Please!" she pleads, getting on both knees with moist, amber eyes. "Don't kill! I have a family!"

"I did not say I was gong to kill you," the elf says, sheathing the blades in his quiver and gently taking her petite, white hands in his and bringing her to her feet. "I am Legolas. What is your name?"

At the mention of it, Elaine twitches at the realization that she has fooled the elven prince of Mirkwood. "Lilac."

"I shall take you to my father so we can find your family," Legolas smiles grimly, releasing her and retrieving his bow.

"What about your horse?" Elaine inquires.

"My father will send men for it," the elf says, stooping next to the elegant steed and whispering something elvish in its ear. The breathing rate of the horse increases significantly, and the poor beast seems stronger. As he moves to stand, a stone hits the back of his head, causing him to drop with a splash into the mud and he remembers no more.

* * *

><p>"Drat the elf!" Gimli mutters as he stalks close by a few bushes, still searching for Legolas out in the miserable weather.<p>

Something next to him rustles and he abruptly halts, turning with his ax ready in hand. A voice curses approximately ten feet away. "Looks like old Fang isn't getting up again. 'Don't mess with them,' my leader said to me, and now we know why."

"Well, do we turn him in?" a woman asks.

"No. Keep him and see if we can get some information out of him first."

More shuffling. Gimli gets on his toes to see over the bushes, but cannot, being a little too short. Frustrated, he pushes right through them and stumbles upon a not quite explainable sight. His friend's brown steed is lying motionless on the ground, with its leg impaled by a wooden spike. Blood is right next to its head as well as on a rock. Carrion is on the ground also, a foul orc, being pecked by vultures, with an arrow imbedded in his forehead. Gimli cautiously approaches the scene, stopping right in from of several bushes by the horse's head.

* * *

><p>Legolas stirs from the world of the unconscious, his blue eyes flying open and he attempts to sit up, yet finds himself pushed up against a warm body, with one hand clamped over his mouth, the other tightly wrapped around his mid-section. A pair of clammy hands is gripping his legs. His throbbing head brushes against the leaves of a bush, covered in little berries. Each is two thirds red and one third black. It's a rosary pea bush, a deadly one.<p>

The elf pulls, but he feels cold metal on his throat and moisture on his pointy ear. "Don't move, or else I'll tickle you with this," Belshazzar whispers fiercely, his hot breath having a foul, carnivorous stench that makes Legolas wrinkle his nose in distain.

Shuffles. Then a blunt noise follows. "Legolas?" Gimli's voice calls, quite close by. The call was loud enough that the elf nearly moved to cover his sensitive ears. "I better get Aragorn. Only he can make out these tracks." The heavy footsteps of the elf's friend make his heart sink, realizing he is currently in this predicament…alone, with help only several feet away.

He once again attempts to move yet just now realizes he is bound with both hands behind his back. Perhaps he ought to make some sort of noise to alert him, though the rain may drown out any sounds. "What do we do with him?" Elaine whispers.

"Since he's the elven prince, we could get a ransom," Belshazzar whispers back.

Legolas squirms, but only manages to nick he side of his neck. Blood tricks down his tunic and he kicks yet no one stirs. After quite some time the orc grabs a fistful of the elf's blond hair and yanks him to his feet, snarling.

The trio emerges from the bush and the Legolas realizes Belshazzar is an Uruk Hai, which is far more perilous. "Night is drawing nigh," he growls. "Let's get him to the hut and interrogate him; then take him back to the camp tomorrow."

Legolas pulls away again, breaking free of Belshazzar's grip, and bolts for the direction he believe Gimli headed only mere minutes ago. Before he can move more than five feet, the Uruk has his arm again, and throws him on the ground. The elf notices Elaine coming up behind him, holding his weapons. "You will pay for that you miserable elf! You don't seem to need those legs, do you?" Belshazzar snarls shoving his blade up to Legolas's throat again and eyes the elf's thin legs before turning the knife and aiming for the upper thigh.

**A/N: Cliffhanger! Yes, it's my favorite thing, and maybe plot twists, but these I do more often. XD Let me know if I put excessive angst****. Have a good day/night!**

****Zane's Girlfriend** **


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

A Trail to Nail

"Wait!" Elaine screams as Belshazzar swings the blade, but halts mid-air.

"What now?" he inquires in an irritated tone, rolling his dark eyes at her.

"You can't cut them off, or else he might die from blood loss," she tries to reason, yet he looks rather indignant.

"He might make to much noise like the last one," she adds.

"Fine! I'll make sure he can't escape though," Belshazzar huffs, grabbing Legolas's right arm and roughly slitting his wrist as Elaine holds the elf's kicking legs. Blood gushes out, spilling onto the leaves and dirt of the forest floor where Legolas stares, the world spinning from the blow to his head. The potent swoon causes him to go limp, yet he remains fully awake and he twitches his fingers to make sure he still possesses them.

The enraged Uruk Hai bends low, his knife poised to strike the elf's left leg, but as he thrusts it at him, Legolas rolls over. Belshazzar blade plunges into the back of the prince's right thigh, puncturing deeply and he cries out in pain, doing it solely to alert Gimli, if it's not too late already. "Curse you, elf!" the Uruk spits on his golden hair, and withdraws the knife mercilessly.

"Was that necessary?" Elaine crosses her arms, leaning her back against a tree.

"Well, do you expect him to stay put?" Belshazzar snarls, sheathing his knife and lifting the prostrate form over his shoulder, while Legolas groans, the blood gushing out of both wounds.

"Hang on. I don't want him dying," Elaine says and tears a strip of black cloth from the fringe of her; then wraps one around the elf's wrist and the other around his leg.

* * *

><p>"Where did you see him last?" Aragorn inquires, quite concerned at the dwarf's ill tidings.<p>

"I believe twas over by the black waters in Mirkwood," Gimli responds, stroking his beard with one hand while fingering his ax with the other nervously in the cave.

"Could he have perhaps fallen in?"

"No, highly unlikely. I discovered his horse lying injured by a separate pool of red blood. I found carrion there, from an _orc_ as well as black blood."

At the emphasis on the word orc Aragorn looks up with increased concern from having been staring at a beetle scuttling on the cave floor. "I shall send my men to search for him. Show me the place." He speaks to his escort and the man hastily departs, to fetch a search party and the duo of human and dwarf leave to find their friend.

* * *

><p>"That ought to do it. We'll be right back to report for duty, so keep an eye on him," Belshazzar says, stalking out of the straw hut they brought their captive in with Elaine trailing behind.<p>

Legolas is bound to a post with both arms wrapped around it, his bare back exposed for any sort of cruelty there is. The orc watching him jeers at the elf, prodding his bloody thigh with the hilt of his scimitar. Legolas flinches, but prevents any other hints of pain from coming forth so as not feed on the sadistic part of the foul creature. "Tough little elf, aren't you?" Girsh sneers, lightly touching his bloody leg.

_Ironic. You're calling me little and you're a good deal shorter_, Legolas muses, attempting to stave off the hot pain, futilely. "If you want a ransom from my father you can forget it. He'll have you and your friends' heads hanging all bloody in front of the gate," he spits out in a seething tone.

"We'll string your useless body up first!" Girsh screeches, smacking the back of his captive's head. He glances down at the tunic on the floor and mutters something about how they could sell it; then shoves a finger up Legolas's wound. "Stubborn elf," the foul being mumbles and delivers a heavy blow to his head.

After five minutes of beating had gone by the door bursts open, revealing a taller, and larger Uruk Hai than Belshazzar, as well as quite a few orc guards outside that pour in the hut like ants spotting a sweet apple slice. Girsh backs away from Legolas's limp form, quailing in terror. "Did you forget who is the commander, or did you merely fail to report?" the leader snarls in a menacing voice.

The small orc gets on both knees, trembling before him. "Master…p-p-please f-for-forgive m-me!"

"You dared challenge my authority, and now you expect me to grant you to keep your miserable life, you worm?" the leader snarls and draws his scimitar. He drives it right through the orc's throat before anyone can move and sheaths his blade like he had done many times. No one was surprised in the slightest, not even Legolas, who knew what had taken place. What else is to be presumed from a vile being as those?

The Uruk Hai walks around the pole and grabs the elf's chin, pulling his head up to face him eye to eye. The leader licks his ghastly, blood stained lips-goodness knows where it came from, and spits on his graceful face. "The prince of Mirkwood eh?" he scoffs, making the elf's blood boil.

"What do you want?" Legolas demands, summoning up what little strength he still possesses.

"We don't need a ransom, all we want is to hang your dead body in front of your Father, to make him pay for what he did. Of course, we need you to look mangled up enough to show him you suffered greatly beforehand."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

A Message to the Elven King

"Poor Thranduil. His most beloved and youngest son dead in his arms, without a head, without a tongue, what shall he do?" the leader mocks, letting go of Legolas's chin and roughly forces his jaw open. "Give me the draught," he says, holding a hand out and an orc hands him a small, leather bottle. He opens it and shoves it against the elf's mouth, tipping it downwards.

Legolas bites his hand, closing his mouth so the draught won't go in, but a bit of the hot liquid makes it in. His lips burn. The Uruk Hai grabs his hair and slams the front of his head into the pole; then pulls him back.

He forces more of the draught down the elf's throat until the latter chokes violently. Red liquid from Legolas's mouth mingled with saliva drips on the floor. Suddenly, his aching limbs burn like his throat and he feels enough energy to move, perhaps even enough to run.

The Uruk Hai hands the bottle back to the orc. "Untie his bonds from the pole, but keep his hands tied. I need him to make it back to camp _alive_," he orders.

Upon the emphasis 'alive', the two subordinates did as instructed and soon the elf is on his feet, still bound. The orcs know the routine on escorting captives and one picks up the whip that had been on the floor. With a crack the march back to the camp begins.

Legolas bides his time as they depart, blue eyes scanning the nearby forest for the opportune moment to bolt. However, his driver is quite alert and the cruel thongs of the whip almost constantly find their way into his back, arms, and legs.

The other foul creatures march in a tight circle around the elf, leaving him no way of escape. If only Gimli had been with him he would have had aid. Gimli…where was he? Legolas can only hope nothing ill has befallen his friend.

* * *

><p>"Well? What can you make of it?" Gimli inquires, stooping over the human king. Aragorn is hunched over the dead orc, observing the wound while holding the arrow that had pierced the being's throat.<p>

"Indeed, t'was Legolas who killed it, yet there is something about the entire layout I cannot make out."

"What?"

"There is a net with a red, blood stained rock beneath it, meaning most likely Legolas had stepped into a trap. On the other hand, there is elf blood in the bushes that seemed to have accumulated, meaning he could have been caught there as well.

"Another thing is that Legolas's blood is in a trail leading away from here. Either he came from there or he was injured here and left. The latter is highly probable. Let us follow the trail."

"Curse you! Then why are we waiting here?" Gimli mutters, picking up his ax and following the human.

* * *

><p>"Curse you elf!" the driver lashes Legolas for the twenty-fifth time after the latter having attempted another escape. Now they have him the camp, away from the fire, on the leafy ground.<p>

"Enough! I am the great Ugulk! I will do it," the leader growls and shoves the puny orc out of the way. "You are a hard one to break," he says, drawing a knife from his belt, "but I will make you scream."

Legolas struggles as his mouth is forced open again, and a laceration is made in the roof of his mouth. No sounds. "Curse the elf," Ugulk mutters, kicking his side and stalking back to the fire. "You! Don't even think about trying to escape, unless you want to end up like him!"

A gasp comes from next to Legolas. The elf turns his head and the shape of a child bound the same way, also on his back. He is not a young one. "Sam?" Legolas chokes, putting his hands against his mouth as blood pours forth.

"Legolas?" the hobbit exclaims, "Oh, my dear Gaffer! What happened to you?"

The elf shakes his head. "Oh, I better take a look at your mouth there. I don't want you no bleeding to death, Mr. Legolas. Pardon me if I hurt you." Sam gently takes the elf's hands off his mouth, his hands being tied in front of him. He rips off a bit of his waistcoat off and presses it to the laceration. Legolas winces from the pain.

"Oh, if only Mr. Aragorn was here, he could help you," Sam says, glancing around panicky.

"Hey!" an orc's voice makes Sam start and he sees a small one approaching.

"So Ugulk survived after all," the hobbit mutters through gritted teeth.

The orc grabs Sam's curly hair and drags him away from Legolas. "Get away from him, you Halfling!"

"Let him go!" Legolas manages to choke out, the cloth having fallen out of his mouth.

"You let go of me! I'll help if it's the last thing I do!" Sam yells, tearing away from the orc and running back.

"Run, Samwise! Get Agragorn!" Legolas shouts and the hobbit takes off into the gloom with a group of orcs in pursuit.

"Get him! He's the one to hang in front of the gate!" Ugulk screeches, cursing loudly. Sam is the message.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Into the Gloom

**A/N: Okay, here is the last chapter! :) Thank to anyone who reviewed, favorited, followed, or read!**

**Zane's Girlfriend**

Sam halts for a moment. He glances around the surrounding underbrush and darts to the left, barely able to see anything five feet in front of him. "Wait!" a voice cries to the right of the frightened hobbit. He stops dead in his tracks and turns to see two shadows, one significantly shorter than the other one. "Who is there?" a man's voice calls.

Sam won't take any chances. Legolas is still waiting for him and may lose his life at any moment. He drops to his knees, feeling along the ground for something to fight with. His groping hand meets stone a bit larger than his small palm and he picks it up, getting to his feet.

"I am Samwise the Hobbit!" Sam yells in the loudest voice he can muster and hurls the stone at the taller one's head.

It strikes and a groan is heard. The shadows advance with heavy footsteps as the hobbit bolts to a tree and begins climbing up. His grip is quite strong and he uses his legs for strength, while his hands guide him. The two behind begin climbing as well, the shorter, more agile one going first. Sam grasps a weak branch and breaks it off, letting it drop below. _Hopefully that'll slow them down_, he thinks, resuming a laborious climb up the tall tree.

"Get over here, you little Halfling!" one of them shouts. A hand with sharp nails bites into Sam's ankle and he kicks, but to no avail.

"Sam, jump!" a familiar voice shouts.

A piece of metal flashes, and Sam draws a hidden blade from his belt. "Oh, no you don't!" he shouts, driving it into the top of the shadow.

The grip on his ankle is released and a screech pierces the cold night. A dull thud reaches the hobbit's ears. "Sam!" A light now appears from a torch, revealing two grim faces below that now become large grins.

"Good old Samwise! Bless my beard!" Gimli beams, beckoning with a hand for him to get down.

"What are you doing here?" Aragorn inquires as Sam jumps down from his perch.

"Orcs," he responds, "Snakes and Adders!" Both dwarf and man start at his sudden exclamation.

"What on earth is the matter?" Aragorn asks.

"It's Mr. Legolas, sir. He's hurt and captured by them!" Sam pants and starts to sheath his knife with trembling fingers.

"Can you find your way back?" Aragorn inquires.

"Yes, right this way, but be very quiet."

Sam leads them both back to the edge of the camp, where Ugulk is speaking to the elf prince who is slumped next to the fire. All is chaos.

* * *

><p>"Where did the Halfling go?" Ugulk yells, slapping Legolas's face, and yanking his head up to face him. "I asked you a question, <em>elf<em>. Where did he go?"

"I don't know," Legolas responds defiantly.

"Well, then we might as well kill you now," Ugulk says, "or give you more draught and take you to the wargs to be fed to them."

He takes the flask and forces more of the burning liquid down Legolas's throat. The elf swallows so he can run, but notices more orcs coming in the camp from the right astride shaggy wargs.

"This ought to be interesting," Ugulk muses, untying the elf's bonds. The wargs eye Legolas with blood lust and snarl, awaiting their masters' command.

Rustles come from the bushes and several figures emerge. "Legolas, move!" Sam shouts.

The elf drops on all fours and a rock whizzes in the air, striking Ugulk's head. The foul creature falls dead. Legolas gets up and Aragorn throws two elven knives to him. He catches them and says, "Hanon le, mellon-nin."

He turns to find an orc swinging a scimitar at him and blocks the black blade with one knife, and stabs his chest with the other. He then withdraws it and claws dive for his head, belonging to a brown warg. Legolas ducks and thrusts the blade in its underbelly. It topples on him in a heap of mangy fur.

A horn blares. The men from Aragorn arrive, blades ready, and attack. Sam and Gimli come and push the warg off a squirming elf and each offer him a hand. Legolas takes them. "Thank you, my friends."


End file.
